The prophet Haggai was a part of those Jews who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity, and God gave him an important message to deliver to His people. That message identified their misplaced priorities and included a clarion call to make God and His work and His house a primary concern in their daily lives. The LORD “stirred up their spirit” and the work on the temple and in their spiritual hearts was begun once again!

As a nation, Israel repeatedly missed her opportunity to show the world who God was. The Gentiles did not believe their words because their lives didn’t back them up. Continually focused on the external, they failed to change what mattered the most - the inward man of the heart. Is the church of today making the same mistake?

If anyone had some good reasons to quit serving God, the Apostle Paul would certainly qualify! But here in this chapter of scripture, he gives us sufficient motivation to keep pressing on - to not grow weary in well-doing. Are you living for the eternal or the earthly, temporal things that don’t really matter?

Humanly, we like to judge ourselves in comparison to other people. We tend to stack up pretty good against our fellow man. But one day we will all stand before God to be judged by His perfect standard, the righteousness of Christ. What have you done with the measure of truth that you have received?

In the first chapter of Romans, Paul had made clear the fact that God has revealed Himself to all men and that we are without excuse in denying His power and control over our lives. God’s love in Christ is also abundantly evident, but in our pride and hypocrisy, we have attempted to redefine our sin and God’s purpose for our lives. The first few verses of Romans chapter 2 encourage us to wipe clean the windows of our soul and agree with God!

The early church had little in the way of possessions, prestige or privilege, but they were filled with God’s Spirit and turned their world upside down with the message of Christ! Why is it that today’s church has much but accomplishes so little for the kingdom of God? Could it be we are missing the secret of power with God and success with the souls of men?

God clearly reveals His solution to our sin problem in Romans 1:16-17. But mankind seems intent on having his own way, and satisfying his every desire. In this passage we learn that God will eventually just let man have his way - but it always leads to self-destruction.

Our culture always puts the emphasis on the external, but the emphasis in the Christian life is always on the internal, the hidden man of the heart. The only way to change the inner man is through the power of the Holy Spirit. What does that look like in our lives?

How’s your prayer life? That’s a good question for the child of God to ask frequently. Is it possible to pray in the will of God, aided by the Spirit, aware of God’s will in all matters, and see specific answers to those prayers? It is, when we pray in the Spirit.

Mankind is the crown jewel of God’s creation, and therefore is more accountable to Him than the other created beings. Let’s learn how God has revealed Himself and what our responsibility is with the revelation we have.